Candle
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Post 3x22. Emma falls into a sleeping curse. Regina wakes her but doesn't tell her how. Even though she was only under the curse for a short amount of time Emma begins to suffer from nightmares. Will she be able to find the one thing that saves her from the burning room? Prompt from wildpartyhouse247


_Emma somehow comes across the hair pin with the sleeping curse and accidentally pricks herself. Regina comes across her and despite her loss of Robin is so upset she kisses Emma's forehead and wakes her up. But the problem is that despite being under the curse for a short time, Emma is plagued with the nightmares and the burning room. Snow, Charming and Henry all try to help her but nothing works... however somehow she finds out that her candle is Regina. - wildpartyhouse247_

_Post 3x22. Thank you very much for the prompt. I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes and I hope you enjoy :)_

"Don't touch," Regina warns as they descend into her vault. She may have agreed to magic lessons with Emma but she dreads the thought of Emma accidentally cursing herself or injuring herself somehow. Regina knows that Emma learning magic will be helpful in the fight against future enemies but she can't help but have doubts.

The last time they did Emma was too rash. She lacked the patience for learning and practicing. Whilst her instincts are great Regina fears what harm Emma's impatience and reluctance for magic could do.

In the year apart she realised that life without the blonde was insufferable. Being without Henry was enough to make her feel like losing her heart for good but with her heart she realised that Henry was not the only one she missed. Over their time in Neverland she had bonded more with Emma and their relationship had taken on dimensions she had never seen coming. When Emma and Henry returned her heart and mind became a confusing swirl of feelings that she couldn't figure out.

With her sister's arrival there was no time to figure out what she felt. Then she met her soulmate here in Storybrooke and decided to give that a try. She still didn't know how to feel around Emma know but she knew she didn't want any harm to come to her or the Charmings. She told herself it was for Henry.

Right now she's still mad at Emma. After her foray back in time Emma brought back Marian imploding Regina's blossoming relationship with Robin Hood. They weren't together long but being with him had renewed her hope that she could find love. Regina sighs trying to push away the thoughts of yet another lost relationship and focus on the task at hand.

She flicks through a basic spell book deciding it's a good start for a first lesson. Regina's about to whirl around so they can begin when she hears a thud. A cold shot of terror rushes through her as she turns rapidly, dropping the book to the ground as she does. Normally she cares about a mess. Today she doesn't.

Lying on the floor across from her is Emma unconscious. Her heart skips a beat in panic as she hurriedly kneels down beside the sleeping blonde. "Emma?" she tries shaking the blonde's shoulder. "This isn't funny Miss Swan! Wake up!" _Henry will never forgive me_ she thinks knowing that if she doesn't fix this her son will blame her forever. She knows she would also blame herself.

Her eyes catch a glimpse of metal and she leans over Emma to see a familiar pin on the floor. Her blood runs cold as she realises what it is. It's the sleeping curse she used on David so long ago. "Damnit Emma," Regina yells as a tear rolls unbidden down her cheek, "I told you not to touch anything."

She knows what will fix it. True love's kiss but she doesn't know who to go to. If she brings Henry here he will hate her forever. She knows from experience that he will not listen to her explanations. She fears his accusations and his loathing.

She also doesn't want to get Hook. The thought of him being with Emma, let alone being her true love disgusts Regina.

She still doesn't know exactly what it is she feels for Emma. There's anger but there's also a lot of something else she hasn't admitted to herself. Regina had been giving herself time to work through everything. She told herself she had time. Today she doesn't.

Regina closes her knowing she has to try this. She doesn't know what she'll do if Emma wakes up. She doesn't know what she'll do if she doesn't.

"Please wake up," she whispers putting aside her anger towards the blonde and focussing on that time during the Enchanted Forest when she missed Emma more than she ever believed she could. Regina leans over and kisses Emma's forehead. There's a few moments of nothing before a flash of white light surrounds them.

Regina gasps before scooting away from Emma who wakes up with a sudden sharp pant. Emma clutches her chest as her eyes open. She searches out Regina. "You woke me," Emma says.

Regina nods as her head spins. She doesn't know what to do now. She's still a little angry at Emma and yet woke her up with true love's kiss. She's overjoyed she woke Emma up but she doesn't know what to say or do now. She thought Daniel was her true love. She was told Robin was her soulmate.

But Emma was the one she woke up.

She knows what it means. She knows it means Emma is her true love. She just doesn't know what to do about it or how she feels. She wants time to herself but she also doesn't want to let Emma out of her site just yet. Regina can't help but be worried that Emma will fall asleep again or be hurt or worse.

"How do you feel?" she asks to try and avoid the way Emma is looking at her as she digests what happened to her.

"Okay….I think," Emma replies. "Was that a sleeping curse?" she asks.

Regina nods, "Yes."

Emma shudders, "I can't believe our son was in one of those. It was chilling Regina. I was surrounded by nothing but darkness and my worst memories. "

Regina frowns guiltily as another tear rolls down her cheek. She sneakily wipes it away. It still makes her sick to her stomach that she inflicted that fate on Henry. It hurts her that Emma will now also go through the same pain he did. She knows what comes as a result of the sleeping curse and her desire not to leave Emma now only grows. Her protective instincts are kicking in and she swallows the lump in her throat before looking at Emma again, "Can you stay at mine tonight?"

Emma quirks a brow up, "Why?"

"Just to be safe," Regina replies, "We don't know what after-effects may occur as a result of the curse."

Emma nods, "Okay. I'll have to call Henry and my parents though so they don't worry."

Regina's face pales which does not go unnoticed by Emma who adds, "It wasn't your fault Regina. You told me not to touch and I did. It's my fault okay and I'll make sure they know that. Don't beat yourself up about this. Besides you woke me up and saved me."

Regina nods. Just because Emma doesn't blame her doesn't mean that twinge of guilt she feels goes away. She saved Emma, true, but she also wishes she had destroyed that damn pin. She didn't even know it was in here.

Emma pauses for a moment before asking her next question, "How did you wake me up?" She has a feeling she knows but it took her by surprise. She has no idea what she feels for Regina. It's changed a lot over the past few years and she's seen a lot of sides to Regina. She knows that when she got her memories back the first person she saw was Regina and she knew she had to go home. There's been a lot of confusion for Emma over the past few months and she's felt a definite flare of jealousy upon seeing the Mayor with Robin Hood.

She just didn't know it was love she was feeling. She's still not sure exactly what's going on in her heart and head and this sleeping curse has just thrown in a new curveball.

Regina needs more time. She panics and lies. "I had some true love bottled in here. I borrowed it from Rumple and used it to wake you." She deflates at her own lie wishing she had had the courage to tell Emma the truth. She wishes she knew how to handle the truth and face her feelings.

Disappointment settles over Emma's face. She knows it's a lie. She won't push Regina for the truth though. She's not sure she's ready to face the truth either. She wonders if maybe her lie detector is off and if perhaps this curse is not like Henry's. If Regina's story is true then it means, well Emma doesn't know what it means.

She does, however, find herself wishing, that Regina had woken her the way Emma had thought she had.

* * *

That night Regina lies awake and listens. Emma eventually fell asleep in the guest room after convincing her parents and Henry that she was fine and that she was staying at the mansion just to be safe.

Regina hasn't slept a wink. She can't help but worry about the other woman a few doors down. Henry told her about the burning room and the nightmares and she doesn't want Emma to suffer them as well. She knows it's an inevitable side effect but all the same she wants to make sure Emma will be okay.

Whimpers alert her and she runs from her room and into Emma's. Her heart clenches painfully when she sees Emma thrashing around on the bed and wincing. Her heart is what guides her over to Emma and she knows that sooner or later she will have to face her feelings for Emma and the revelation that they are true loves.

It's a lie she will not be able to keep up.

Tonight though her priority is keeping Emma safe. Cautiously she lies down next to the blonde wrapping her body snugly around Emma's. As she does Emma lets out a soft "oh" before smiling. At that Regina's heart swells happily. She thinks back to how she used to soothe Henry and begins running her fingers through Emma's hair. At that Emma hums contently before falling into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

The next day Emma returns to her home. She still doesn't know what to make of Regina waking her up. She knows it was a lie. She just wishes she could make any sense of what happened.

Last night she had a brief flicker of flame in her sleep and then it was gone. Emma shrugged it off thinking that perhaps her curse was different or that she was somehow safe from the nightmares that had plagued her mother and Henry. She guesses it must be because she was only under the curse for a short time.

Either way she's just glad that she slept peacefully and woke up in the morning. She came downstairs that day to find Regina already gone and a note. Emma still clutches it in her hand.

_Good morning Emma, _

_I didn't want to wake you since you seemed to be sleeping so peacefully. I hope you are well. Let me know if there are any complications right away and I will see you this weekend with Henry. _

_Regina. _

She doesn't know why the note makes her smile like it does. Maybe it's just because Regina wrote it. Maybe it's just the leftover traces of happiness and comfort she felt waking up in Regina's house.

She sighs as she lays down to sleep that night. Her parents and Henry were worried about her of course but she assured them she would be okay. After all last night she was so she has no fears about tonight.

She lays down to sleep and finds herself plummeting into darkness. She gasps when she finds herself in the red room. Henry and her mother described it to her to warn her but she still is not prepared. It's utterly terrifying and she can't help but scream as the flames surround her. Emma tries to shield her eyes as the heat engulfs her.

"Help!" she screams desperate to escape this nightmare. Tears stream down her face as she spins helplessly in the burning room.

She wakes with a sudden gasp of terror and wipes her tears away on her sleeve. Emma lets herself sob for a few minutes before she gets her breathing under control.

She's terrified and confused.

Last night she was fine. No nightmares. Just a faint image of fire that quickly went away. She thought she was safe. She rubs her eyes tiredly and lays back down though she knows sleep will not come again tonight.

* * *

After a week of sleepless nights Snow sits down beside Emma as her daughter fights sleep. "You'll be safe Emma," she promises, "You're at home with people who love you."

"I know that," Emma replies tiredly. Her voice is laced with exhaustion. She's been staying up later and later to try and avoid the nightmares but it never works. She just winds up being plunged back into the firey hell of her sleep. She doesn't go back to sleep afterwards.

She hasn't contacted Regina yet though she knows the brunette is worried. Emma doesn't want to frighten Regina further. She knows the other woman blames herself for Emma falling under the sleeping curse in the first place and Emma doesn't want her to feel any guiltier.

She still doesn't understand why the nightmares are striking her or why nothing helps relieve them. The only night that she has slept peacefully was at Regina's.

Her mother sits beside her and sings her a lullaby to send her off to sleep. Emma wishes it would help. She ends up battling flames all the same. Her mother's song is cut off by a sharp scream.

* * *

Another week and Emma is still at a loss. She dreads the night and the nightmares that will haunt her. Regina has been avoiding her too and it makes her heart ache. She misses Regina's presence but after the curse incident Regina has flat out refused to teach her magic. She's been keeping her distance all over the place and it upsets Emma even more.

She can't help but think back to that day in the vault and question how Regina woke her. She never bought Regina's story about the true love potion and she's convinced that Regina must have kissed her. She knows Henry didn't nor did her parents because she asked. The only one who could have done is Regina.

It's left her more than confused than ever. She knows it must have panicked Regina and it startled her too to realise it. Her heart had begun to yearn after Regina but she had never even considered the possibility of it being true love. Regina had a soulmate after all and she knows Regina was still mad at her the day of the sleeping curse.

She's too tired to fully work out how she feels or what to do about it

That night Henry comes into her room armed with his storybook. Emma smiles at him, "Hey kid, back to your stories."

He nods, "I was thinking it could help you sleep."

"Worth a try kid," Emma agrees.

"I hope it does since Mom cursed you."

Emma sighs, "Your Mom didn't curse me Henry. I touched a pin I wasn't supposed to and was cursed. Your Mom saved me."

Henry looks up with surprise, "She did? How?"

Emma shrugs, "She said she woke me up with a potion but I think it was a lie."

He nods, "It definitely was." He smiles in quiet realisation before looking up at Emma, "I'm sure you'll figure it out Ma. Let's try the stories."

She nods and listens to him recount the story of her parents. She lets his words send her off to sleep. The flames lick at her after a few seconds and she wakes with a startled sob. She holds her head in her hands and wonders if anything is ever going to keep her safe at night.

* * *

Another week later and her sleep is only worsening. Emma wishes the nightmares would end but nothing works. Tonight her father comes in to her. He's holding a candle which confuses her. "Okay what's this?" she asks. She knows they've exhausted nearly all methods of comfort but this one is certainly a new one.

"It's a candle," he says, "When your mother has nightmares I always light a candle for her and for Snow just knowing it's there and I'm there helps soothe her. I was thinking they might work for you."

Emma chews her lip in thought. She's been having a theory about her nightmares for the past week but she hasn't dared test it yet. The only night she didn't have nightmares was that first one. The night she was with Regina.

It all keeps coming back to Regina.

Regina woke her up.

The night she spent at Regina's was nightmare free. When she's with Regina she feels at ease and safe and she's beginning to understand what that means.

Emma looks to her father, "This candle helps Mom because you're her true love right?"

He nods, "I think so. Why?"

"What if I know who my candle might be?"

"Do you?" he asks, "Why haven't you gone to them?"

"I'm scared," she admits quietly, "I don't know how they'll react."

"It can't be any worse that the burning room Em. You have to at least try. Who is it?"

She takes a deep breath, "Regina."

He nods slowly. She looks up confused, "What? No interrogation. No shock?"

He shakes his head, "Not really no. To be honest I'm not surprised at all. I saw how you two were in Neverland. I saw how you looked at her and Robin. I know you've been missing her."

"You could have given me a hint," she jokes.

He smiles, "True love is something you have to figure out for yourself Emma."

She nods, "What if we're not ready for a commitment like true love?"

"Then you start small. See if she helps your nightmares. Talk about how you feel. Go on a date. Just try a normal relationship and let whatever you might have develop as it will."

She pauses for a few moments as she thinks about it. She has felt something for Regina for a long time. She just couldn't put a name to it. Now though in the aftermath of the sleeping curse she has been awakened to the possibility of love and what she feels for Regina. She's aware now that Regina is the one who must have kept her safe that first night. To her that must mean something.

She looks back up at her father. He nods in understanding, "Go."

* * *

Emma rings Regina's doorbell and hopes this does not backfire on her. Regina pulls the door open and Emma can't help but smile. For the whole day she has been exhausted. Yet here with Regina she feels calm. Her heart hums in her chest as she looks at Regina, "I know you lied to me."

"What?" Regina asks as she draws her robe around herself.

"You woke me up and it wasn't with a potion."

"How can you be so sure?" Regina asks.

"Because ever since I went home I've been having nightmares. Nothing helps. I always end up in the flames. The only night I didn't was when I was here. What did you do that night?"

Regina looks down chewing her lip before looking back up at Emma. She wasn't going to admit this but knowing Emma has been suffering for the past few weeks without her sends a jolt of pain through her heart. She knows that it's time to confess and put them both at ease. She just hopes the revelation of true love doesn't cost her Emma. "I held you and I ran my fingers through your hair. I just wanted to comfort you and let you sleep. Why didn't you say you were having nightmares?"

Emma kicks a stone with her foot, "I didn't want you to feel guilty. I knew you were beating yourself up about me being in the curse in the first place and I didn't want you to feel worse."

"So you were in pain but you still put my needs above my own?" Regina asks. The thought touches her heart and she was scared Emma didn't feel the same way as her or that Emma would run but here she is. Emma nods and she takes a deep breath before making her confession, "I woke you up when I kissed your forehead."

"True love's kiss," Emma says knowingly. At Regina's slow nod Emma takes a step forward before pulling Emma in for a slow tentative kiss. Regina gasps into the kiss before she melts into it. She feels a lot of things for Emma but right now all she cares about is this moment. She cares about the love and tenderness she feels in the kiss.

There's a whole lifetime to work out how she feels and to figure out where they will go from there. All she knows for sure is that she wants to figure it out with Emma.

"I'm your candle?" she asks as she reluctantly pulls away from Emma.

Emma nods, "Yep. You save me from the nightmares. I know this is scary and surprising but I don't want to rush this. Let's just take it one day at a time and figure out how we feel about each other on our own. No pressure. I know I care about Regina. I know that I like you, more than like you and that you make me feel safe and happy. I know that I want to take you out and get to know you and have a future with you. You're my candle Regina and if you'll have me maybe I could be yours too?"

Regina smiles at the offer before nodding. She leans in to kiss Emma once more before taking her hand. She leads Emma upstairs wordlessly before laying them down on the bed. "One step at a time right?" Emma nods. "Then stay with me. Let me be your candle," Regina says before wrapping her arms around Emma.

Emma smiles before falling into a peaceful sleep.

_Thanks for reading :) _


End file.
